1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a cooking device with a curved-shaped bowl, which has an inner surface that surrounds a cooking space.
2. Description of Related Art
In keeping with its Far Eastern origin, such a cooking device made up of spherically and aspherically curved surfaces is also referred to as a wok.
There are known woks with bowls of cast iron, high-grade steel or aluminum. The nature of the material results in the inner surface of the woks having large pores. Items being cooked stick to the inner surface of the wok, which makes cleaning difficult.
When cooking with the wok, firstly meat, vegetables, rice and the like are flash-fried separately in the center of the wok, where it is hottest, and then pushed toward the cooler edge. Finally, all the ingredients are mixed together again and pushed back into the center of the wok. In the case of the known metal woks, as cooking continues the bowl is also greatly heated in the transitional region adjoining the center. A desired effect is lost as a result. The flash-fried meat, vegetables, and the like then undergo a subsequent cooking effect when they are pushed into the edge region.
It is one object of this invention to provide a cooking device which is user-friendly to handle.
This object is achieved with a bowl made of hard glass or glass ceramic and by the bowl bearing an edge surround in the region of the bowl edge.
The surface properties of the hard glass or glass ceramic are such that remains of food are unlikely to stick to the inner surface of the bowl. This makes it easier to clean. The hard glass or glass ceramic has a low thermal conductivity. Consequently, the typical cooking properties of a wok can be enhanced. The bowl can be selectively heated in the central region with a heating device. The side region, adjoining the central region, remains reliably at a uniformly low temperature level.
With the edge surround of this invention, the user friendliness of the cooking device is further improved. The edge surround may at the same time be designed so that it protects the bowl edge from damage, such as shell-chips, cracks or rupture. It is also possible for the edge surround to assume a holding function.
According to this invention, the edge surround holds the bowl edge inclined with respect to the horizontal from underneath with a supporting portion. This produces a form fit between the edge surround and the bowl whenever the bowl is lifted in the vertical direction. In order to protect the bowl edge from laterally acting mechanical forms of loading, the edge surround may have a side shroud which covers the bowl edge on the outside, at least in certain regions.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, the edge surround has a top side, which has an upwardly directed terminating face. The top side extends beyond the bowl edge and/or the top side extends into the surrounding region away from the bowl. If the bowl edge is overhung by the top side, then it is protected. The fact that the top side extends into the surrounding region away from the bowl means that different functions can be realized. For example, it is possible for the overhanging part of the top side to be used for the holding function.
For a visually attractive appearance, the top side may also have a design.
For fixing the edge surround to the bowl, an adhesive bond may be provided.
In order to prevent bits of food from collecting between the edge surround and the inner surface of the bowl, according to this invention, the flange has at its free end a sealing lip which bears against the inner surface and seals the region enclosed by the edge surround and the bowl edge from the cooking space.
The cooking device can be produced cost-effectively whenever the edge surround is formed onto the bowl edge, for example molded on or pressed on.
For improved ease of handling, the edge surround may bear one or more grips, which protrude laterally beyond the edge surround. The grips can rise vertically upward.
If the cooking device is used as a table-top cooking appliance, a body or a load-bearing frame can be connected to the edge surround. The body may be formed onto the edge surround in one piece. The bowl is held from underneath by the body. A supporting unit bears the body and consequently also the bowl.
For safety reasons, in the case of a table-top appliance the bowl is encapsulated. For this purpose, the body has a panel which completely surrounds the outer wall of the bowl. At the bottom, an opening is provided in the paneling of the body. This opening can be closed by a load-bearing part. The load-bearing part accommodates a heating element, which is held in the space surrounded by the body and the bowl.
In a cooking device according to this invention the edge surround has a shaped formation, at which at least one operator control element or indicating element is integrated. Switches, rotary controls or touch-control regulators can be used, for example, as operator control elements.
The edge surround preferably has a temperature-resistant, glass-fiber-reinforced plastic, preferably a thermoset material. It is also conceivable to use a metal or a plastic-metal composite material for the edge surround.